Filters are employed in a wide range of applications, including usages to filter intake air in building ventilation systems to large-scale industrial facilities and equipment. By way of example, air intake filters are utilized in connection with gas turbine combustion systems employed for power generation.
In such applications high volumes of air are utilized in the combustion process. In turn, high volume filtration apparatus are necessary to condition intake air streams for combustion optimization and for reducing wear on componentry. In this regard, it is desirable for such filter apparatus to provide for relatively high-volume gas filtration with relatively low pressure drop while providing reliable removal of particles and liquid from the intake air. In particular, in gas turbine applications, the removal of relatively small particles and liquid is desirable to minimize degradation of turbine componentry (e.g., corrosion of compressor blades) and loss of compressor efficiencies. As may be appreciated, replacement of turbine componentry is not only expensive, but may also entail significant down-time.
In order to realize high volume air filtration, V-panel filters are often employed. In V-panel filters, adjacent filter panels are generally oriented at acute angles to define a V-shaped configuration along and across an airstream. While V-panel filters yield high volume filtration, their configuration presents design challenges in relation to achieving reliable seal interfaces and overall durability.